It took me a while to realize that cooking certain types of meat which I previously assumed would be difficult (like lamb!) was actually one of the easiest dinner options out there! I think for so long I didn't realize how nice a mostly "hands off" dinner can be, like the type that just involves a little sautéing at the beginning, and then gets popped into the oven to cook away.
These lamb shanks with white wine sauce and pearl onions are just that type of dinner. If you're craving something fancy-ish, extra delicious, and super warm for winter, this is the recipe for you. These are SO easy, and once they're popped in the oven, they cook for a few hours and come out 100% ready to eat! These types of recipes are my favorite, as I can get some other stuff done while dinner is finishing up all on its own.
In my opinion, these type of recipes should be in the dinner rotation all winter long. There are a few things about this recipe in particular which make it ideal this time of year.
If you've never tried a lamb shank before, it's the type of meat that when cooked slowly, becomes so tender and practically falls off the bone! Plus, when cooked with the other ingredients, you'll end up with the most flavorful and naturally rich sauce out there.
If you're not already convinced that you'll love the lamb shanks, I can promise that the other ingredients in this recipe make it truly incredible! Your kitchen will also smell unreal, which for me is always one of my favorite parts and gets me extra excited for the meal. Once you have the lamb shanks and olive oil, you'll also want to grab-
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and grab the lamb shanks! You'll first add the olive oil to a large dutch oven set over medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering but not yet smoking, add the lamb shanks. You can put them next to each other but just make sure the dutch oven is large enough so that the side of each lamb shank touching the bottom has enough room to completely brown. When each lamb shank picks up easily with tongs, flip it to the next side, repeating until each side is browned. You can also prop them upright too to make sure the top is browned. Something I've definitely learned from my mom is that thoroughly browning meat like this is extremely important for developing flavor, and not something you want to skip! Once browned, remove to a plate.
The rest of the recipe is so easy and the rest before you pop this in the oven is really fast! Grab the remaining ingredients and finish this sauté up by-
Then you'll grab those nicely browned lamb shanks!
Add the lamb shanks back into the dutch oven, then cover them with enough chicken broth so that they are covered and there is about an inch of space at the top of the dutch oven. Cover the dutch oven and then these lamb shanks are all set to roast away!
These lamb shanks roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, but hear me out, the hands on part of this recipe is over and you are free to relax and do whatever else you like while these roast away! Also, roasting them for so long creates the most delicious sauce and tender meat out there. These are truly worth waiting for!
Pull the dutch oven out of the oven, admire this beautiful meal, and serve immediately over mashed potatoes or as is! This is the ideal wintery dinner, and would be the perfect fancy Valentine's Day meal or easy weeknight dinner.
Servings: 3-6 (depending on if serving these alone or with a side)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours and 25 minutes
These lamb shanks with white wine sauce, full of leeks, pearl onions, and mint, are fancy-ish, mostly hands off, extra delicious and cozy, and perfect for a winter meal.
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